Golf putting device



y 1937- 0. SMITH 2,081,511

GOLF PUTTING DEVICE Filed June 28, 1934 Patented May 25, 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to'a golf putting device, andrmore particularlyto a plate or mat of 'rubher or other appropriate material, suitablydivided into compartments which may be assigned 5 different valuesto-indicate accuracy of play.

The object of my invention is to provide a portable putting devicepractical for indoor or outdoor use on any playing surface such as, forillustration but not limitation, carpet, floor, concrete, gravel, sand,grass or synthetic grass.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a putting device whichhas intrinsic value in testing and developing the players skill andaccuracy on the putting green in respect to power applied to the stroke,proper timing and direction, in that a meansv is afforded for accuratelymeasuring the effects obtained; toprovide a novel game andto stimulatenew interest in golf by means of an amusing and not too difficult testof putting skill; and to provide such a device'adapted for use in smallareas. Other objects will appear in the references made to theaccompanying drawing and in the detailed description.

5 More particularly the device comprises a plate which may be of variousforms and of various configurations of surface and of variouscompositions, and an incidental feature of the device is to give certainareas of the board certain: values. which will determine the score ofthose who contest their putting ability. The preferred form of-thedevice is a plate of rubber or other material and preferably of squareoutline and having lines, ridges, grooves, or

undulations in any numbers of two or more, positioned at spacedconcentric intervals about the center which represents the cup. The golfball will travel over the subdivided areas into the cup if it has 'theproperdirection and speed 40 and will lodge in one of the intermediateor outer areas orizones if it is not properly directed toward the cupwith proper speed. The plate may: be-made of anythickness of material,but is preferably thin, and at three inch-or other intervals may haveribs or grooves extending as annular subdivisions around the center. Theplate may also be made of rectangular or other form and subdivided intorectangularareas or areas of other shapes, as desired. The board may bein the form of a fiat sheet having the subdivisions in the form of heavycords secured to the upper surface thereof. It also may be in the formof a flat plate with depressions within which artificial grass may beplaced so that the trackway for the golf ball will be substantially'level,. but the traction effect of the surface will be decidedlydifferent and the golf ball} traveling over the surface will be retardedonqthe rubber grass section and held from the center of the board. It isapparent that the 5 separate receptacles may be indicated by depressionsintheplate but at present this is not the preferred form.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of 10 the means hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and thefollowing description setting forth: in detail certainstructuresembodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, 15 however,but several of various forms in which the principle of the invention maybe used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. l represents a top plan view of the preferred form of my improvedputting device; 20

Fig. 2 represents a central sectional view of the device, taken alongthe line 2-2, shown in Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail sectional view, taken along theline33, shown in Figure 25 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4'represents aperspective view of the form of the device shown inFig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 represent variations as to form of my invention. 30

Referring more specially to the drawing, Fig.

1 represents a golf putting device in preferred square shape, althoughthe same may be of any desirable shape, and constructed from anysuitable material, showing the multiple concentric beads, the outermostof which may be coextensive with the outer extremity of the mat. Anynumber of beads may be used, and the arrangements ,of the beads isoptional. The center hole is herein indicated as are the other areas,all of which may be given numerical values. The preferred spacing oftheheads is here shown. Fig. 2, indicates the relative thickness of mat andbeads and plausible thickness, height and angle for the variousheadings. However, any thickness, height or angle may be used uniformlyor in, combination in the beadings or depressions. Fig. 3 represents thegolf putting device in its preferred form as it appears from puttingposi- 50 tion. Fig. 5 represents a golf putting device in square shapewith multiple strips around a cen ter hole and intermediate areas with amodified surface, and Fig. 6 represents a variation of the device squarein shape with diagonal headings 55 intersecting the corners of thesquare cross strips.

The golf putting device is designed so that it will not be displaced bythe impact of the ball on its surface. For illustration but notlimitation, the composition used in its manufacture may be rubber,paper, metal, felt, asbestos, clay or some appropriate syntheticmaterial, although rubber is at present the preferred material due toits resilience, the mat being of uniform or varying traction effect overits surface. One of the above-named or another material may be usedexclusively, or two or more may be used in combination in themanufacture of the device. The preferred form of the device is a mat orplateau I, thin enough to be light in weight but thick enough to bedurable, and preferably rectangular in shape bearing multiple strips 2.These strips may be .in the form of beads, lines, rings, ridges,depressions, grooves and/or undulations of appropriate height, width andangle. They may be either uniform in spacing or in other combination atdefinite intervals around but not necessarily equidistant from thecenter area preferably a circle 3 which represents the cup. The mat maybe die cast or may be assembled from any number of integral parts bymeans of an appropriate process dependent on the material or materialsused.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the beads 2 arepreferably formed with outwardly and downwardly inclined upper faces 4and with substantially vertical inner faces 5. This shaping of the beadsprovides for the free movement of a golf ball toward the cup over thegentle slopes provided by the successive inclined faces 4 on the beads2, but prevents such golf ball passing freely across the entire mat i byreason of the obstruction to free rolling movement provided by thevertical portions of the beads which would be presented to the path oftravel of a golf ball moving past center on the opposite area of themat. The concentric areas 6 intermediate the concentricbeads 2 and theadjacent portions of the mat may be plane surfaces or may be modifiedsurfaces such as shallow ribbed or pebbled surfaces, or may be providedwith artificial or synthetic grass made of upwardly extending flexiblerubber members positioned close to one another so as to form agrass-like surface.

In the construction shown in Figure 5, the areas I are each formed withparallel shallow rib members intermediate the more elevated rib members2, formed by the beads.

As is shown in Figure 6, the mat I may be formed with concentricsubdivisions defined by the beads 2 and a central area forming the cup 3and diagonally disposed beads 8 may be provided intersecting each of thecorners of the square crossstrips or beads 2.

In any of the several constructions shown in the drawing, the surfacesof the respective mats may be divided into different areas determined bythe dividing units and such areas, shown as the portions 9, l0 and I Iin Fig. 6, may be given certain values to create a game of competition,such numbers to be indicated on the mat in an appropriate manner. Fromthis incidental feature of the device, different games. may be conceivedby using a variable number of balls at different distances from whichpar may be determined. This allows for a series of games made possibleby varied rules as to the time for lifting and counting the value ofeach ball. The mat and the beads, strips and/or depressions may be acommon color or any combination of colors may be used.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of those explained, change being made as regards the structureherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An article of the character described, having in combination asubstantially fiat body member providing a golf putting area, a ballreceiving central space on said member, said body member being recessedto present a plurality of ribbed areas positioned in substantiallyconcentric relation between the outer margin of said body member andsaid central space.

2. An article of the character described, having in combination asubsttantially flat body member providing a golf putting area, a ballreceiving central space on said member, said body member being recessedto present a plurality of ribbed areas positioned in substantiallyconcentric relation between the outer margin of said body mem-- ber andsaid central space, and partition members subdividing said ribbed areas.

3. An article of the character described, having in combination asubstantially flat flexible body member providing a golf putting area, aball receiving area formed integrally with said body member by amodification of the surface of said body member, and a plurality ofstraight parallel integrally formed upstanding beads sloped downwardlyand outwardly away from said ball receiving area and presenting verticalfaces at their inner edges toward said ball, receiving area.

4. An article of the character described, having in combination asubstantially fiat flexible body member providing a golf putting area, aball receiving area formed integrally with said body member by amodification of the surface of said body member, and said body memberhaving at least one outer row of integrally formed upstanding beadssloped downwardly and outwardly away from said ball receiving areaenclosing such area and presenting vertical faces at their inner edgestoward said ball receiving area.

5. An article of the character described, having in combination asubstantially flat body member providing a golf putting area, a ballreceiving area formed integrally with said body member by a modificationof the surface of said body member, and said body member having at leastone outer row of straight parallel integrally formed upstanding beadssloped downwardly and outwardly away from said ball receiving areaenclosing such area and presenting vertical faces at their inner edgestoward said ball receiving area.

ORVILLE SMITH.

